Top 5: Albert Finney Performances

Albert Finney should've had the reputation of Al Pacino or Patrick Stewart, but then again...he didn't want it. The famously soft-spoken actor was a stalwart and a force on the stage and screen from the mid fifties until 2012's Skyfall, garnered five Oscar nominations, two Tony nominations, and was offered knighthood (which he turned down). He was, for lack of a better word, a force on screen and could either intimidate the hell out of you and warm your heart as needed. He leaves behind an impressive cinematic legacy including these five performances.

#5 Hercule Poirot in Murder on the Orient Express (1974)

Kenneth Branagh had an uphill battle with his Orient Express remake, because Finney's portrayal of Poirot is magnificent. He's curious, clever, but restrained and disappears so well with his vocals and body language that I didn't recognize him the first time I saw it. He's the pinnacle of a soft-spoken hero in this movie.

#4 Ed Masry in Erin Brokovich

It's hard to be the quiet counter-point to a role designed to win an Oscar (Julia Roberts in the title role), but Finney does an excellent job at being the restrained voice and counter-punch to Roberts firy delivery. While being the straight-man isn't always great Finney still conveys his character's progression with small comments and glances. Case in point, the look he gives Roberts as she begins to complain about her bonus payment, is pure gold.

#3 Edward Bloom Sr. in Big Fish

Intentional or not, casting the man who played Tom Jones as a master storyteller who attaches legendary elements to his ordinary life is a stroke of genius. Finney has a lot to do in this movie. He has to be just aloof enough for us to be irritated, narrate the hell out of his own bright-eyed life played by Ewan McGregor, makes us sad as hell, and then endear himself to us with his upbeat approach to memory and life. It's no easy feat, but Finney wears all of these hats beautifully in arguably Tim Burton's most touching film.

#2 Leo O'Bannon in Miller's Crossing

At first glance Leo seems weak. He can't see through his lady's indiscretions and seems oblivious to the machinations against him. But in one scene we see exactly how Leo got to the top. In an attempted assassination Leo gets the drop on his assailants and Tommy Guns them out of existence. It's an unexpected show of force that shows us just how dangerous he is, even if he doesn't play politics. And it's also the most bad-ass thing I've ever seen Finney do on-screen

#1 Arthur Seaton in Saturday Night and Sunday Morning

Finney's breakout performance perfectly captures its era in British Cinema. The fifties and sixties were full of "kitchen sink dramas" which feature angry young men who wanted to reject societal pressure but felt powerless to stop it, or themselves.

Finney's Seaton is a near perfect prototype who tries to avoid domestic life by sleeping with a married woman and partying hard on the weekends (hence the title). What Finney does so well is capture the anger and confusion of feeling trapped with not idea how to escape. It's a prolonged existential crisis with no good answers, and easily my favorite performance by Albert Finney. Rest in Peace.